


Comfort

by Mosspool13



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Angst, Canon Compliant, Drabble, F/M, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-22
Updated: 2016-12-22
Packaged: 2018-09-11 01:10:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,134
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8947285
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mosspool13/pseuds/Mosspool13
Summary: Emmeryn's death still held a heavy hold on the Shepherds' captain.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This is something I wrote a few years ago that I wanted to post for no other reason than I like it. Hope you enjoy! 
> 
> You can either read this as pre-relationship or platonic friendship.

The hot, heady scent of war was a dark thing that pressed upon Robin's heart. Gangrel loomed like a beast in their wake; always sitting just out of reach, but so close they could feel his breath on their necks. Chrom never admitted it, but the weight of the Shepherds and his kingdom, now riding on his shoulders, was eating away at his conscious. The man was constantly moving; training with his sword, ever since... Robin pressed a hand to her eyes to push the memory of blood, death, agony, helplessness. It surged all at once and she felt the bitterness of tears on her tongue and stinging her eyes. She choked them back with a scowl, feeding her sorrow into determination, quickening her pace, and continued her task of searching out their infamous leader. 

She found him once more sparring in the fields. It looked as though Stahl had become his most recent, and unhappy, victim. The cavalier was desperately trying to hold back each whack of Chrom's sword as it came baring down on him. He barely knocked aside the first assault before Chrom was readying another. Frederick was standing nearby, hands folded behind his back as always, expression neutral save for the crease in his brows as Chrom claimed his victory, finally, with a sharp strike against Stahl's sword that snapped it in two. Stahl fell back against the blow and Chrom staggered forward a moment before righting himself, his arms trembling.

Frederick approached at that moment as Chrom held out a hand for Stahl, who gladly took it and got to his feet. "Milord. I believe Stahl has had his fill for the day."

"Was my best sword too." Stahl sighed, slightly unnerved as he gave Chrom a small, nervous smile. "I could never win against you before but gods, Chrom, you beat me down like I was a rag doll."

Chrom shook his head, still breathing heavily. "Believe me. It wasn't as easy as it looked." He clapped Stahl over the shoulder. "Go get some dinner. And rest up." Smiling, Stahl turned and headed off towards the mess tent. 

Frederick took the opportunity to smoothly step in. "Milord, you need your rest. You have been spending all day sparring. You are fatigued. It would be wise to end training for the day."

Chrom shook his head. "I'm fine. Just a little more and I'll stop."

Frederick's frown deepened. "That is what milord said last time before sparring with Stahl."

Exasperated, Chrom practiced swings with Falchion. "Then this will be the final time." 

"Milord..."

"Dismissed, Frederick." Frederick, hesitating slightly, bowed before heading off after Stahl. Chrom's face was stern as he continued swinging Falchion. Robin, who had been watching at a distance, felt it unwise to go to him now. Chrom aimed Falchion at a nearby dummy before his swings slashed their way through the straw. One swing, suddenly, glanced off the dummy wrong and Falchion ripped through it sloppily, knocking the sword from Chrom's hands with a muttered curse. 

"Chrom...?" He looked up as Robin approached, tentatively. She was still wary; frustration was clear in the tightness of his jaw and the way he held his body. His face quickly smoothed out upon her approach, hiding the harsh lines Robin had seen from earlier. 

"Robin? How long have you been standing there?"

"I saw the tail end of your fight with Stahl." She stood beside him now, watching as he knelt to pick up Falchion and saw the slight trembling of his hands again. Worry etched onto her face and she extended a hand to his arm. "Chrom, you're trembling."

"I'm fine." He insisted, but it was weak compared to his earlier admittance to Frederick. He did, however, refuse to meet her eye as he lifted Falchion and prepared to strike the dummy again. Robin stopped him by lightly touching the curve of his elbow. 

"Chrom." 

The slight edge to her tone now, so disapproving and disappointed, that upon its utterance he seemed to just... shrink. He dropped Falchion and gripped her arm tightly with his own. His shoulders hunched slightly as he desperately tried to hold back tears that were threatening to come through. 

"I-I can't." He choked out, "I-I can't be the leader Ylisse needs. I'm not Emm! I-I can't live up to her name." Robin gently moved her hands to cup his neck. The pulse there was wild and frightened, like a trapped bird and the man whom it belonged to was crumpled and broken. Robin felt a surge of protectiveness well up within her. The Chrom she knew was the brave, kind man who had extended to her his hand that day in the fields, believed in her even when others did not, trusted in her every day of every battle with his life. Her Chrom was strong, but she needed to be strong too. 

"Listen to me, Chrom." He lifted his head in surprise into her earnest face. She stared directly into the blue of his eyes, faded and clouded by grief so deep it ran through his very fiber. Emmeryn's death had left a toll on all of them, and Robin felt it within herself as well. They were all broken, but someone would have to pick up the pieces. 

So be it. She would be the one to support Chrom on her shoulders. 

"I will defeat Gangrel. I will help you rebuild your kingdom. We will stand together, as two parts of the same whole, and bring peace to this world." 

"Robin?"

"Even if it costs me my life. I will not fail you. Nor Emmeryn." She released him then, staring directly into his bewildered face. "Put your faith in me." 

He stared at her a moment more, before his face broke into a small, almost relieved smile, "You know, you would make a good Exalt of Ylisse yourself, Robin. The way you spoke just now."

She felt heat rushing to her cheeks. "I could never! I have neither the ability nor the respect deserved of such a title. You and Lissa are the only ones who could possibly become the Exalt."

"A burden I must now hold." Chrom looked up at the sky, clenching his fists. "In Emm's name, I will defeat the Mad King." He paused to shoot her a wide grin, "We will."  
Her heart skipped a beat at the look in his eyes. At last, the Chrom she remembered. He knelt to pick up Falchion, sheathed it, before turning to give Robin one last final smile, before he headed back to his tent. Robin remained standing, staring after him, and she felt as though, perhaps, they might be able to defeat King Gangrel after all. 

"We will have to." She said aloud, and returned to her own tent.


End file.
